Page 14 of Daily Grind
Waiting makes it better. ;)
Brian stared at the text.Did you just wink at me?
Me? Never.
You did just wink at me.
You’re imagining things. Don’t you have drinks to make?
The bell on the door clanked.Actually, I do. I gotta go.
See? ;)
Brian laughed and slid the phone into his pocket. Halfway through making the second drink for the couple that walked in, he realized he was smiling. Broadly. Enough that his cheeks hurt. And humming.
It wasn’t a crush—it was downrightinfatuation. Yeah, he was too old for that, but he didn’t give a fuck anymore.
He couldn’twaitfor Friday.
Chapter Four
Throughout the day on Friday,Rob couldn’t stop checking his watch. Didn’t help that he’d been stuck in meetings starting at eight in the morning. They ran pretty much straight through until four in the afternoon.
Thank goodness he’d asked Mallory, his assistant, to block out the time after that, or he was positive someone with a masochistic streak would’ve sent him a meeting request.
At least the morning meetings had been conference calls. He took them in his office and half listened while flipping through the photos he’d taken during his hike. That kept him from contemplating all the things he wanted to do to Brian that were entirely inappropriate for a first date.
Brian didn’t seem the type to fuck ten minutes after meeting—or they would have. He still didn’t have a sense of what Brian wanted or expected. A hookup? A relationship? Friends with benefits?
The sexual attraction was there, certainly.
Do you really want to date a workaholic like you?He was better now, but the scars of overworking were still there. The regrets. The pain. Then again, dating would be better than living like a hermit, and it looked likesomeoneneeded to pull Brian out of that shop once in a while.
Might as well be him.
After he grabbed a quick lunch, the afternoon meetings with staff kept him engaged so his mind didn’t wander far—just enough to worry that the day would never end.
But it did and as soon as the clock ticked over to five, Rob was out the door. He’d stripped off his suit jacket and tie, folded those into his backpack, and grabbed his bike. Didn’t take too long to ride to his house, a rambling old Victorian he’d bought for a steal. The house had needed renovations back then, but it was sound and had great bones. A quick shower and a change into jeans and a t-shirt had him looking like a normal human being and not a CEO.
He chose to drive rather than bike—better not to arrive a sweaty mess, and he had no idea how late they’d be out. He was a touch early, but he didn’t think Brian would mind.
Given the fucking huge grin that nearly split Brian’s face in two—no, he didn’t. At all. And there was part of the answer Rob sought.
This was more to Brian than a fling or a hookup.
That both relaxed him and warmed his heart. At this point in his life, he wanted more. Would have settled for less, but he’d had enough of casual hookups and random sex. He took his seat at the counter and laid his iPad down.
“Hey,” Brian said. “Be with you in a few.” He was steaming milk and there was a line of customers at the counter.
“Of course.” Customers always came first—especially in a service business.
Brian worked as smoothly as normal, gliding through each drink and somehow managing to keep the orders in his head. It was more than Rob could manage—he had to write everything down. Desk littered with sticky notes.
Watching Brian work was a joy. There was something sensual in the way Brian held his hands, his body, and how he focused on each task. Brian clearlylovedhis work—that came out in every beautiful movement.
Rob couldn’t help but wonder if that passion, attention, and focus extended to the bedroom. To be under those hands and eyes—he wanted that, desperately.
He ran a hand over his iPad cover. There were also the photos he both ached and feared to show Brian. He’d taken up photography as a hobby, sat through a few courses, read as much as he could—but he’d never shared this part of himself before.
